Improvement in spring-hooks



. tongue) UNITED STATES PATENT ()FEIGE.

GEORGE E. FERRET, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

- I MPROVEMENT IN SPRING-HOOKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 198,81 3, dated January1 1878; application filed November 6, 1877.

as a fastening device for garments or for a snap-hook.

The invention consists, primarily, in the tongue of the hook, it beingso constructed that it will yield to an eye, ring, or other device to beengaged by the hook when such I parts are being engaged, and will thenretain such eye or ring; and it is also further provided with athumb-piece to permit it (the to be depressed to free the eye or ring.

Figure 1 represents one form of my invention, it being embodied in ahook for fastening garments. Fig. 2 is a side view thereof. Fig. 3represents the invention applied to a snap-hook, and Fig. 4. is anothermodification. In Figs. 1 and 2 the hooka and tongue I) are shown as madefroma single piece of spring-wire, coiled and bent as shown. In suchfigures, 0 denotes aneye, which may be of any suitable shape and size toreceive a strap, or to be sewed or secured to a garment. The coils inthe wire at d afi'ord the spring for the tongue. The tongue is providedwith a stop, 6, which projects beyond the end 2 of the hook, and with adepressed portion, f, and a thumbpiece, 9.

When an eye or a rm g of usual construction is passed between the tongueand the end 2 of the hook, the tongue will be depressed so that the stop6 will pass below the upper part of thef hook, and the eye or ring willpass into the depression f,where it will be permitted to rest, and whereit will be held. When the ring or eye is so held, the stop 6 rises aboveor projects into a slot in the hook. This stop portion of the tongue isso shaped as to prevent the ring or eye passing backward until thetongue is depressed. To depress the tongue easily, I have added to itthe thumbpiece g, which enables the tongue to 'be manipulated from theend of the hook, rather than between the eye 0 andthe portion 2, as nowcommonly done. This thumb-piece, extending, as described, from thetongue, permits the use of a very small or short hook, with aspring-tongue so short that it could not be reached and depressed whenattached to a garment.

Instead of the stop 6 being made substantially as shown,- it may beinclined, or curved backward toward the eye 0, so as, in a greatermeasure,-to prevent the backward movement or escape of a ring or eyefrom between the hook and tongue.

In Fig. 3 the stop 0 is made to project forward and receive below it thering h, (shown in dotted lines,) and the depression f and thumb-piece gare made in a separate piece of metal connected with the portion b.

The shape and size of the hook may be varied without departing from myinvention.

In Fig. 4 the thumb'piece portion of the tongue is placed nearer thebase of the hook, so thatit may be reached from above, rather thanbelow, the eye, or by tipping the eye. In many instances the form shownin Fig. 4. will be preferred.

A fastening, substantially as shown in Fig. 4, might be made of flatspring metal, instead of wire.

I claim-- As an improved article of manufacture, a hook provided with atongue, a stop, a depression, and a thumb-piece, to operatesubstantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification inthepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE E. ieERRIN.

Witnesses G. W. GREGORY, W. J. PRATT.

